There's a nursing shortage nationwide - but it's a $100,000 job in York County

Colleen Risley, a nurse at WellSpan York Hospital talks about why she got into nursing and the demand for nurses.
Paul Kuehnel, pkuehnel@ydr.com

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Collen Risley, a nurse at WellSpan York Hospital, stands inside the main entrance. Risley works in the North Tower. The need for nurses has never been greater. There are about 3 million in the U.S., and more than 1 million new nurses will be needed by 2022 to meet the country’s needs.(Photo: Paul Kuehnel, York Daily Record)Buy Photo

She was fresh out of York College in 2015 with a degree in a field that had thousands of openings.

But she passed on all those opportunities, including in her hometown of Philadelphia, to start her nursing career in York.

The “friendlier, supportive staff” at WellSpan drew her in, Risley said. “I chose the place where I was going to fit in and grow.”

That growth includes her paycheck.

Risley’s wages have increased $7 an hour within three years, thanks to a mix of raises tied to annual evaluations, a step up on the clinical nursing ladder and an increase to stay competitive with other regional hospitals.

She recently advanced to a clinical nurse II position, working three 12-hour shifts a week with four days off.

But the perks extend beyond wages, promotions and flexible schedules. Risley is currently enrolled in a program at York College to graduate as a nurse practitioner in 2020, and WellSpan is helping her pay tuition.

The hospital reimburses 50 percent of her tuition if she maintains a B average or higher.

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Collen Risley is a nurse at WellSpan York Hospital. She knew she wanted to be a nurse since she was a child. She also likes the job security.(Photo: Paul Kuehnel, York Daily Record)

“I’ll take my career as far as they’ll let me,” Risley said.

If she stays at WellSpan for four years after completing her nurse practitioner training, the company will pay 100 percent of her tuition.

Six figures

A nurse might have to work all nights and some overtime to receive $100,000 or more, but “six figures is not uncommon,” according to Kris O’Shea, vice president and chief nurse executive at WellSpan.

Nursing salaries vary at WellSpan, generally starting at $56,000 to $58,000 for a new nurse, she said. It increases based on the number of hours worked and differentials, such as an extra 10 percent for working the night shift.

WellSpan nurses can also receive 8 or 9 percent increases in one year because of annual evaluations and clinical advancements.

The hospital system recently had 64 nurses earn clinical advancements in May.

WellSpan has 3,800 nurses throughout its system, with about 1,800 at York Hospital.

“We’re trying to create a culture where we have strong development of our nurses,” O’Shea said. “We hope to retain our nurses and attract more to us.”

High demand, big perks

Flexibility is attractive to Risley, who works three 12-hour weekday shifts and every third weekend.

“I have enough time for me and my family,” she said.

Risley, who did not disclose her annual income, lives in Denver, Lancaster County, with her husband.

One day it might make more sense for her to transfer to WellSpan’s Ephrata hospital to be closer to home, she said.

And she probably wouldn’t have any trouble transferring or keeping perks because it's the same employer.

The high demand and short supply of nurses is now forcing employers to offer numerous perks to attract nurses: five-figure sign-on bonuses, flexible schedules, tuition and housing reimbursement and more.

“Nurse recruitment is hot and popping,” said Kim Brister, director of talent acquisition for WellSpan.

WellSpan York Hospital employs about 1,800 nurses.(Photo: File image)

About a year ago, the healthcare system ramped up its perks, including offering “PTO bridging” to seasoned nurses. That meant nurses, who had worked several years for another hospital, could transfer to WellSpan and keep the same level of paid-time off they had earned with another employer.

They also started a program at their Gettysburg hospital to have a “draft day” for nurses, allowing them to pick which departments they’d like to work in, such as labor and delivery or intensive care. That same practice is used in some Florida hospitals.

And like many hospital systems, WellSpan offers sign-on bonuses. At hospitals across Pennsylvania, sign-on bonuses typically range from $5,000 to $20,000 for nurses.

Risley wasn’t offered a sign-on bonus three years ago, and she wasn’t really looking for one. Her choice was about where she would be comfortable, learn and advance.

She knew she wanted to be a nurse since she was a child. There were nurses in her family, and she believes “nurses breed nurses.” When Risley’s grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer, it reinforced her passion for taking care of others.

Hundreds of openings

The need has never been greater. There are about 3 million nurses in the U.S., according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The U.S. will need more than 1 million new nurses by 2022 to meet the country’s needs.

Baby Boomers are aging and require more care. At the same time, many retiring Baby Boomers are nurses.

WellSpan has a little more than 100 nursing jobs open throughout its six hospitals, with the bulk of those jobs at York Hospital.

UPMC Pinnacle Memorial has 12 open nursing jobs. A scan of online job postings shows that other hospitals in the region and throughout Pennsylvania have hundreds of such jobs open.

The new UPMC Pinnacle Memorial hospital in West Manchester Township is under construction off of Loucks Road. Once completed, the hospital will move from its current site in Spring Garden Township.(Photo: Ty Lohr, York Daily Record)

Despite the openings and ongoing nursing shortages nationwide, hospitals say patient care has not been affected, and nursing schedules haven’t really changed much. An exception was the recent flu season when WellSpan reduced the number of nurses allowed to take paid-time off.

“I felt that strain,” Risley said. “Half of our patients were in with the flu.”

Her nursing floor was at maximum capacity, up to 25 full beds instead of 23, she said.

“Fortunately, teamwork and staff pull together, and we make it work,” Risley said.

Though nursing days with a flu epidemic can be long, easily logging more than 20,000 steps on her pedometer, there’s a clear upside. “When a patient hugs you and thanks you for your help, it’s worth it,” Risley said. “It gives you that drive.”

She works on a general care floor that is waiting on four new college graduates, she said. “Help is on it’s way.”

To meet the needs, UPMC, a Pittsburgh-based system with hospitals in York and Hanover, is asking central Pennsylvania nursing schools to double their enrollment. Holly Lorenz, chief nurse executive for UPMC, has already asked Pittsburgh-area nursing schools to ramp up enrollment. Now that the UPMC-Pinnacle merger is complete, the request is being made in this region too.

UPMC offers more than 13,000 clinical rotations a year for nursing students, believing they will ultimately build their careers at a hospital where they’ve had a good clinical experience.

“It’s a huge pipeline for us,” Lorenz said. “We’ve been successful at growing our own nurses.”

WellSpan is essentially doing the same thing and looks across the street to its partnership with York College for new classes of nurses.

WellSpan reaches out to all local nursing programs a few times a year, said Kim Brister, director of talent acquisition at WellSpan.

The healthcare system is also trying to recruit more male nurses.

“The male nursing population is still about 10 percent,” Brister said. “That’s a barrier we haven’t been able to break. The reality is this is a good occupation with a lot of benefits.”

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WellSpan York Hospital resident Andrea Tydir, center, breaks glass to gain access to a vehicle in an extrication exercise as fellow resident Jenna Jarriel looks on during EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Trainees were taught to use different tools and breaking points depending on the type of glass. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

WellSpan York Hospital residents, from left, Andrea Tydir, Sam Sun, Dan Holsinger and Jenna Jarriel put on turnout gear before participating in a vehicle extrication drill with members of the York Area United Fire and Rescue heavy rescue company during the EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

A close-up of a hydraulic cutter used by firefighters and trainees during WellSpan York Hospital's EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

Andrea Tydir uses a puncturing tool to break the glass of a car window during an extrication exercise at WellSpan York Hospital's EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School. In a rescue situation, a patient would be shielded with a tarp or other barrier to prevent further injury as a result of the rescue operation. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

WellSpan York Hospital resident Jenna Jarriel, center, volunteers as a trapped patient as fellow hospital interns, residents and premed students including Lauren Altschuh, left, Chance Rohrbaugh, Rishi Thackarar and supervisor Eric Bowman, front, work to safely brace and transport her during EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

Firefighters Dave Kane, left, and Gary Carpenter, right, describe to residents the advancements in modern vehicle construction and safety that have greatly reduced the frequency of having to use hydraulic rescue tools such as the jaws of life during WellSpan York Hospital's EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

WellSpan York Hospital resident Dan Holsinger uses a battery operated rescue tool under the supervision of York Area United Fire and Rescue member Celeste Jones, right, during EMS Skills Day training at the York County Fire School. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record

Trainees and instructors gather around a simulated crash scene for a vehicle extrication exercise during WellSpan York Hospital's EMS Skills Day at the York County Fire School. Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record